摘要:

AbstractThe existence of a wide disparity in labor returns between the farm and nonfarm sectors and considerable variations in agricultural wage rates among regions suggest that there may be real differences in factors affecting the supply of and demand for labor among sectors and regions. A knowledge of these supply and demand structural relationships could be of use to policy makers in developing measures that will help to minimize some of these income and wage discrepancies. In this study, regional supply relations for hired agricultural labor are developed and estimated. Two hypotheses are tested: (a) that members of the hired farm labor force respond to economic stimuli with a distributed lag, and (b) that they participate in a national rather than a regional labor market. The results support both hypotheses. One of the policy implications is that programs which increase nonfarm wages are more effective in the long run in raising farm labor income than programs which raise prices of farm products.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236860

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis article reports the findings of a cross‐sectional regional analysis of inter‐county variations in farmers' earnings in 1959. Location relative to industrial‐urban concentrations and local demographic and economic factors were used to explain median earnings of farmers by geographic divisions in the United States. The findings indicate the following: (a) In the divisions east of the Mississippi River, the closer a county to a large city and the larger the city, the higher the farmers' earnings. The reverse is true west of the Mississippi. (b) It is truer in the South than elsewhere that local demographic factors (age, education, and color) are more important than local market conditions in explaining the levels of farmers' earnings. (c) Land and capital inputs per farm are the most important factors influencing the level of farmers' earnings. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236861

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis article reports the principal findings from a study of agricultural‐income efficiency in the North Central states conducted under NC‐53. Estimates and projections are presented of (1) the income efficiency of the 1959 observed organization, (2) the characteristics of income‐maximizing organizations in 1959 and 1980, (3) the size of the adjustments that would be needed to meet income‐efficiency criteria, and (4) the potential real national income gain associated with an income‐efficient organization. If the number of entrants into commercial agriculture in the North Central region does not exceed the number who quit farming to take nonfarm jobs, normal mortality and retirement will reduce the number of commercial farmers in the North Central Region to about 418,000 by 1980, or 36 percent of the number in 1959. Although this is still about 23 percent more than the projected number of farmers under the 1980 income‐efficient organization, this reduction would be a long step toward achieving an income‐efficient commercial‐farm sector. An approximation to an income‐efficient farm sector by 1980 could probably be achieved at relatively low cost.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236862

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractRanges are developed within which it is judged there are two out of three chances that 1968 demand and yield outcomes will occur. Five crop categories for 10 regions are considered. Drawing on a theorem pertaining to the probability distribution of a quotient, we use the foregoing results to estimate ranges for the regional‐commodity cells. Ranges for regional cropland totals and national totals for each crop category are estimated as the sum of approximately normally distributed variables. The 1968 ranges are compared with recent acreages to determine if it is likely that particular acreages will expand or contract.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236863

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractElasticities of production for nine input categories in U.S. agriculture were estimated with the assumption that factor shares adjust to the production elasticity with a distributed lag. A Cobb‐Douglas production function was formulated from the estimated production elasticities and used to show the economically optimum level and combination of aggregate resources in U.S. agriculture. Adjustment to the least‐cost input combination which would produce the actual average 1952–1961 output would have reduced the actual input dollar volume by $1.9 billion, or 5.6 percent. Adjustment of farm resources to an equilibrium level, with all resources earning an opportunity‐cost return would have entailed a reduction of 4.2 billion 1947–1949 dollars, or 12.5 percent of the actual input volume. The cost of excess capacity was approximately $2.2 billion or 6.6 percent of the resource volume; the cost of a nonoptimal input mix was $2.0 billion or 5.9 percent of the resource volume. Two‐fifths of agricultural labor was estimated to be in excess supply in the 1952–1961 period.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236864

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractSequential decision theory is used to develop a framework for derivation of optimal groundwater policies focused on temporal allocation. The primary criterion of choice is expected present value of net output from the basin, and dispersion of net output is introduced as a secondary consideration. The expected‐present‐value function and its associated rate‐of‐use function under an optimal policy are discussed in the context of net social benefit as prerequisites to an economic solution to the problems of commonality encountered in the use of water from groundwater basins.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236865

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThe problem of managing seasonal grain inventories at farms and elevators is viewed here as a special case of the general problem of resource allocation under risk. The similarities between this problem and the stock portfolio problem treated by Markowitz are noted. By employing the concept of E,V efficiency we are able to apply a technique Markowitz developed for portfolio analysis to the seasonal grain inventory problem. The technique involves the use of quadratic programming to select combinations of grain storage activities and futures trading activities that minimize revenue variance for various levels of expected storage revenue. Solutions are presented for combinations of up to 20 activities involving the storage of three different grains in Michigan. The solutions illustrate that unhedged seasonal grain inventories and nondiversified inventories are inefficient relative to fully hedged diversified inventories.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236866

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA flow‐of‐funds approach to the business management problems of the family‐operated farm is presented. Recorded and projected flow‐of‐funds statements, in connection with the conventional profit‐and‐loss and balance‐sheet statements, are appropriate tools to aid in financial management and financial control. The probable financial consequences of management decisions, suggested by conventional budgets, can be projected and evaluated, especially the effect of the decisions on the cash‐flow position of the farm‐family complex. The flow‐of‐funds statement is illustrated and suggestions are made for its possible applications.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236867

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis article develops a recursive programming model of individual farm changes which includes explicitly savings, investments, and growth. Recursive programming as a sequential optimizing rule with a functional relationship between any given period and preceding periods permits the analysis of dynamic properties of adjustment processes. This model emphasizes the behavioral and objective structure of the money capital and investment constraints. The evaluation of growth possibilities is based on the ability of farms to accumulate investment capital relative to the investment needs projected by the model. The model was used to analyze the effects of four EEC policy alternatives on different types of farms in Northern Germany between 1964–65 and 1969–70. The assumed changes in prices and price ratios for agricultural products, in particular for grain, livestock, and milk, affect the projected annual farm income strongly; they lead to moderate shifts between various enterprises; yet the overall growth pattern as characterized by the introduction of new technology and capital‐labor substitution is remarkably similar under all alternatives.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236868

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractArea, yield, and output response functions for rice and corn were estimated for the Philippines as a whole and for nine major regions by means of both simple regressions and distributed lag models. The short‐run supply elasticities calculated from the area response functions typically fall in the 0.10–0.30 range, although estimates as high as 0.60 were obtained. Market‐surplus elasticities ranged from 0.20 to above 1.00. In general (a) the supply and market‐surplus elasticities for rice were higher than for corn and (b) the elasticities for both rice and corn were highest in the commercial areas characterized by proximity to urban centers and/or relatively high levels of irrigation development. The price‐elasticity estimates for the Philippines are comparable with estimates obtained for the same crops, and for other subsistence crops, in other Asian countries. Significant price parameters were not, except in one case, obtained for the yield response functions. Thus, although prices of rice and corn in the Philippines have apparently been fairly effective in allocating resources, there is little evidence to indicate that price changes are an effective device for influencing aggregate agricultural output. This implies a much less optimistic outlook for the role of price as a development tool, at present levels of technology, than if price changes induced yield as well as area change. Price changes at one level of the marketing system are typically reflected, with little change in the marketing margin, at other levels. Any market power exercised by wholesalers and retailers is typically of only local significance and/or of short duration.

ISSN:0002-9092    

DOI:10.2307/1236869

出版商:Oxford University Press    

年代:1966

数据来源: WILEY